Beware Ossification

July 27, 1986

THE PROBLEM with White House chief of staff Donald Regan's remarks about possible sanctions against South Africa -- ''Are the women of America prepared to give up all their diamonds?'' -- is not in the content but in the people with no sense of humor who take grim and senseless offense.

And the news media are there hanging on every inane objection.

Loosen up before we all die of ossification of the face and trivialization of the news.